CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 1973

This law was drafted in 1973, and is a piece of international legislation. International wildlife trade is worth billions of dollars annually. Prior to this law, species were coming closer and closer to extinction. CITES was drafted after a resolution adopted in 1963 by members of the World Conservation Union. The goal of CITES is to ensure that the international trade of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

This law has been successful in the way that only one species has gone extinct since enforcement, the spix's macaw. It has been extremely hard to enforce because it does not take the place of national laws so it is hard to hold offenders accountable for breaking international trade laws. It also does not focus on habitat loss, conservation, or poverty. There is also a lack of funding for the law.

There is a Committee of individuals who oversees the Convention as a whole, which is made up of all of the member Parties who are held responsible for the regulation and enforcement of this trade law.